In 1980, a group of French and American physicists observed the Sun continuously from Antarctica, studying solar physics with the best conditions available on Earth. GRIST was 'parked', but restricted studies on its main spectrometers were supported by ESA. It was based on a collaboration with NASA which became a victim in 1981 of NASA's cancellation of the US probe in the International Solar Polar Mission (ISPM, the former 'Out-of-Ecliptic Mission', now called Ulysses). GRIST was at that time being designed for flights on Spacelab.įollowing the 1976 study, GRIST did not make it to project selection either. GRIST was preferred over Solar Probe because the wavelength range accessible through its optics was particularly useful for studying the hot outer solar atmosphere. The GRIST study, on the other hand, proceeded to a feasibility stage. ![]() Although its assessment study cited four scientific disciplines interested in the mission, Solar Probe was not followed up at the time. Solar Probe envisaged a set of instruments on a spacecraft that would get close to the Sun. In June 1976, GRIST had been competing with a 'Solar Probe' as well as other studies involving other disciplines for further study. It is the combination of the objectives of these two missions that constitutes the core of the SOHO mission. SOHO was first proposed 13 years before its actual launch and the roots of SOHO were laid in earlier studies, namely those of GRIST (Grazing Incidence Solar Telescope) and DISCO (Dual Spectral Irradiance and Solar Constant Orbited). Study of the solar wind and solar energetic particles, interaction with the Earth, plasma processes in both the solar and magnetospheric context.Study of the structure and dynamics of the solar interior through the observation of minute oscillations on the sun's surface (helio-seismology).Solar spectroscopy at soft X-ray and EUV wavelengths (study of the composition of the solar corona, of the structure and dynamics of the magnetic structures making up the corona, and of coronal holes, etc.).The following overall mission objectives are pursued: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Within the collaborative mission, the functions are divided in the following way: ESA is responsible for S/C procurement, integration and testing NASA provided the spacecraft launch and mission operations from GSFC. ![]() So far, SOHO represents the most comprehensive space mission devoted to the study of the sun and of the heliosphere. SOHO is an ESA/NASA collaborative mission within ESA's `Solar Terrestrial Science Program' (STSP), and it is also part of ISTP (International Solar Terrestrial Physics Program). Spacecraft Launch Mission Status Sensor Complement Mission Achievements SOHO - Comet hunter References SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory)
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